It’s been one of those weeks. I’ve been around — working, slogging through emails — but not really blogging. Is because I’ve been busy? Out of words? Out of energy? No interest? Another side effect of abruptly stopping Zoloft? Who knows. In any case, I do still love to blog, and I love my blog, so here I am.

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I discovered something interesting — and perhaps relevant for post-op gastric bypass patients — last Friday night: if 45mg of slow-release iron hurts your stomach pouch to the point of noticeable discomfort for ten to fifteen minutes after taking it, imagine what 325mg of regular-release iron will do. Can’t imagine? Here’s what it felt like for me: a pain on the level of ulcer perforation. I was lying in bed sobbing for a good half an hour, and it wasn’t until I agreed to have my mom take me to the ER and had gotten up to use the bathroom that I realized I might have taken an iron pill (extras from my mom – I cut them into sixths so as not to take too much; and when I do take 1/6th of one, I always drink some milk or eat a bit of yogurt or pudding first!) instead of a pain pill for my back. I knew I had twelve iron pills, and lo and behold, when I counted them (I carelessly had them stored with some other medication in a small Ziploc bag), there were only eleven. That explained why I thought my stomach was simultaneously twisting into knots and exploding into itty bitty pieces, and yet my back and shoulders still hurt like a motherfucker. Serves me right for throwing two different types but similarly-sized and colored pills together in a (sealed, stored in our bathroom, but still…DUMB) bag.

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I wound up not being able to avoid a weekend ER visit, but at least it wasn’t for me: my mom and brothers were stuck at our house for the weekend due to the snow and ice storm, and on Sunday afternoon I noticed blood droplets in the kitchen, living room, and hallway. I thought one of the cats or Leah had injured themselves and was about to start rounding up animals to do paw checks when I saw bigger splotches of blood in Ryan’s room, right next to the bottom bunk, and I knew: somehow my mom had injured her foot. Again. While sleeping, she managed to catch the underside of one of her toes on a sharp piece of the bottom bunk’s metal framework (a spring had popped off, but we hadn’t removed the metal piece because we were hoping to find the spring in order to put it back on; the metal piece is normally tucked under the mattress but had somehow shifted up), and cut it pretty deeply – we’re talking halfway through. Because of her diabetic neuropathy she didn’t feel a thing; it wasn’t until I saw the blood and we checked her feet that she even knew of the injury. So off to the ER we went for a thorough examination, cleaning, and loads of antibiotics. Since everyone and their mother (me included!) seems to hit up the ER after a snowstorm, we brought along tablets (for my Mom to watch funny Russian drivers videos on YouTube) and nail polish (for me) to amuse ourselves during the 2-hour wait in the waiting room.

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I’m now on Week 3 of No More Zoloft. Week 1 was all physical symptoms of abrupt cold-turkeying: nausea, some vomiting, headaches, severe dizziness/lightheadedness. Week 2 was much more emotional: I cried at a cheesy injury lawyer commercial, an episode of Call the Midwife (but in all fairness, in this episode a daughter and her estranged father re-united while he was on his deathbed; and he died mere moments after she gave birth to her first child — his grandson), in Target’s office supplies section, Sia’s Elastic Heart, Dan insisting on refilling my Zoloft prescription “just in case”, Dan’s random acts of kindness, etc. I should have come with a warning sign: FEELS EVERYWHERE. WEAR SPLASH GEAR.Week 3, on the other hand, is absolutely-fucking-awesome, because while there is still some residual These-Are-Real-Feels-So-That’s-Why-My-Eyes-Are-Leaking, I have suddenly rediscovered my sex drive. And orgasms. OH. MY. GOD, the orgasms. I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say that lots of orgasms and multiple orgasms and a sudden need to get as many orgasms as possible has suddenly become My Thing. Dan is more than happy to come along for the ride. Come. Ride. Ha – see what I did there?

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And because this kind of shit never ends, there’s some family stuff going on. Not on my side, for once, but it involves Dan, so of course it involves me. Just send good vibes our way — and especially to Dan — okay? This is a very emotionally and mentally trying time.

Designer clothing is usually gorgeous, high quality, and highly sought after by the fashionable among us. However, it can cost way more than you’d usually like it to. Well, I’ve got some good news for you; you can wear designer clothing without going broke. It’s true! Use the advice in this guide to wear designer garments for a fraction of the price:

Shop in Second Hand Stores
Search second hand stores and see if you can find any gems for a fraction of the price. Vintage stores are really good for this kind of thing, and you’ll often find vintage Chanel jumpers and Moschino bags. Wearing vintage designer is often considered better than wearing current designer, especially if you want to look unique.

Look on Online Selling Sites
Online selling sites such as eBay might have the occasional designer bargain, but you’ll need to keep your eye on it. New things are put on every day, so you might not find something one day but find something perfect the next. You’ll then either need to pay a ‘buy it now’ price or put in a bid. Bidding is risky because you may not necessarily get the item. To win every time, you need to remember when your item is set to finish and then put in strategic bids towards the end.

Search Charity Shops in Wealthy Areas
You won’t always find hidden gems in charity shops, but you might just find some if you shop in wealthy areas. Even rich people need to find something to do with their old designer clothes! Pop into Oxfam in a rich area and have a good old root around to see what you can find.

Swap With Your Friends
Maybe your friends have some designer garms that you’d love to get your hands on? You could suggest holding a clothes swap with your friends where you both put clothes you don’t wear anymore forward to be swapped. Make sure you have some quality stuff on offer too, as this will make the offer more enticing.

Shop With Reputable Retailers
By making sure you shop with reputable retailers, you’ll always get the best value for money when purchasing designer stuff, whether it’s Alexander Wang handbags or Miu Miu sunglasses. If you aren’t careful, you could end up paying way more than the retail price, or not receiving your item at all!

Buy Out of Season
If you buy summer dresses in winter and vice versa, you can easily get a huge percentage off the price. The only catch is that you’ll have to wait a little while before you can wear it. Be smart and plan in advance!

Designer clothes can be yours with a little planning and patience. Happy shopping!

Everyone has had a fight or a falling out with someone that they later regret. It can be horrible realizing that you were in the wrong, and you don’t know how to fix the upset you’ve caused. Sometimes you might feel like there’s no way to repair the damage, and sometimes you might be reluctant to because you feel like you weren’t the only who was wrong. Perhaps you’re unwilling to say sorry because you’re holding out for the other party to do it first. Or you think that no matter how much you apologize, you won’t be forgiven, and you won’t be able to repair your relationship. But you should always try to seek forgiveness if you can. It might be difficult, but there are ways to ask for forgiveness, and perhaps receive it.

Knowing What You Did Wrong
Before you can be forgiven, you need to know what it was you did and be willing to admit that it’s hurt someone you love, even if you didn’t mean to. A lot of people struggle with this kind of self-reflection because it hurts their pride to say they made a mistake. Sometimes it’s also hard to own up to hurting someone because it makes you feel like a bad person, even if you didn’t intend to hurt them. But facing the issue is the first step to asking for forgiveness. It’s important that you understand what you did. You might think that you upset someone in a certain way, but it was something else you did that offended them. You should think about how you might have hurt them and think about it from their perspective.

Reaching Out to Say Sorry
The next step to seeking forgiveness is apologizing for your behavior. It’s essential to recognize that your apology won’t magically fix everything all at once. But opening the lines of communication to make your regret known is a start. You should be careful not to be too forceful about trying to get them to accept your apology. Some of the best get your ex back programs advocate being gentle and contacting someone you have fought with on their terms. Make it clear that you are sincere and that you are genuinely sorry for what you have done. But let them know that you don’t expect their forgiveness, even if you would like it.

Give it Time
You can’t rush forgiveness. Think about how you have felt in the past when someone has hurt you. Even after an apology, it can take weeks, months or even years before you’re willing to let it go. You might have said sorry, but it doesn’t mean that the person you hurt has stopped feeling sad when they think of what you did. You need to give them time until they’re ready to forgive you, and try not to be too pushy. Let them indicate whether you can do or say things to show the sincerity of your apology.

It isn’t fun when you fall out with someone, but it’s nearly always possible to repair your relationship. Have patience and be humble, and you might find them much more willing to forgive.

Hello! I'm Jenn, and this is my blog. I'm 30 almost 30, married to a sexy man named Daniel, and mother to a nine year old girl named Alyssa and an eight year old autistic boy named Ryan. I'm obsessed with all things hot pink and/or glittery; I'm a crazy cat lady (6) and Betta fish hoarder in the making; and I work from home full-time doing what I enjoy: SEO and web design. I love digital photography, and I dream in CSS & HTML.

Tomorrow is National Grammar Day. Alyssa and I will wear our "Grammar Nazi" titles with pride.,2 hours ago